Maybe the best thing about living in San Juan Bautista, a town with less than 1,800 inhabitants, is the annual Easter parade. It's a special kind of no-frills, laid back fun that lasts about three minutes and requires very little commitment or concentration. Just show up and smile. Cheer and wave. Then go eat.
There was some doubt as to whether this year's parade was even going to happen. At 11:00 this morning, two hours before the parade's scheduled start, the sky turned a deep charcoal gray and cut loose with about thirty minutes of intense rainfall, accompanied by a cold, bullish wind.
I wasn't too optimistic to tell the truth. I seriously considered staying home and burying my nose in a book. But around 12:15, the Sun started to emerge, the wind died down, and by 1:00, everything was bunny ears perfect. Let the three minutes begin!
Around here, you can pretty much do whatever you want in terms of costume design.
You can even go full on ranch-house pink-saddle-blanket Tournament of Roses equine style, sort of, kind of.
Or you can show off your Gigundo Fido. I suppose it is possible that this young lady was just walking the beast, saw the parade, and cut in line. Either way, Fido was digging it.
What Easter parade is complete without a royal blue custom dune buggie? Hey! Over here!
It's also okay to go rogue. This gal is proudly doing her own Easter bouquet-on-a-turquoise-scooter-float thing. Why not?
And, you know, there will always be guys with classic cars.
And guys with retro trucks.
And a guy with a classy Corvette.
And guys with funky old Fords.
But this bad ass girl was the best of show, hands down.
Just her and her pygmy pony...and her Mom...and her Auntie.
It's not even Easter yet as far as I know. Not even that close, I don't think. I know it's not tomorrow and that's about as far ahead as I can imagine these days. If you asked the other seventy-odd spectators (or, more accurately, the other seventy odd spectators) when Easter is, you might not get one right answer from those blasphemous, distracted heathens either. Nonetheless, once again, the San Juan Bautista Easter Parade was an enjoyable, uplifting, whimsically short, slapped-together community spectacle. Whenever Easter Sunday turns out to be, I'm sure someone will let us know.
Personally, for three grinning minutes, I felt resurrected.
Peace, Love, Cheers, Waves, and Jellybeans,
Jim
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